Letters To The Editor

Dear Editor, As governments around the globe rush to convert the car buying public to electric vehicles on the basis that it will save the planet has anyone considered the following, what happens to the tens of millions petrol vehicles currently being sold around the planet yearly. These vehicles are in many cases expected to have a life of around 10 years or more and what will be the trade in price when no-one wants to buy them, will the government of the day buy them back as they are pushing for the destruction of fossil fuelled vehicles? I also note that at the recent meeting in Egypt it was agreed that developed countries such as Australia pay some form of compensation to the poorer countries to wean them off fossil fuels which is on top of the aid we currently pay and which will lower the living standards of all Australians as this means more taxes somewhere. Also, with the situation in Australia how does the Federal Government replace the duty which is currently part of every litre of fuel sold at the bowser? Duty is a necessary evil when the country has a welfare bill/ public servant cost such as Australia and at the moment the duty rises twice yearly based on the CPI movement. Despite seeing more electric cars on the road, they currently represent less than 1% mainly operating within around 100 kilometres of the cities, what happens when this figure reach 50% or more what kind of impost will be placed on electric vehicles to recover the lost duty, because take my word there will be one. Recently it has been reported that in California the electric car owners were asked not to charge their cars at the peak electric usage time as the current system couldn’t cope and I also believe that filling up at the current available filling sites is more expensive than petrol or diesel. I remember the push to convert vehicles to LPG which when it was gleefully taken up in huge numbers the shortfall in revenue to the government was so high that a new tax was implemented on the gas to make a level playing field with fossil fuels and the same will happen with electric cars, it could come in the form of a usage tax based on the kilometres driven weekly but rest assured it will happen. The message is that the public is being enticed to switch to electric vehicles with subsidies and lower licence tax incentives at a time when if there was a huge take up it would probably disrupt the whole electricity grid and the loss of revenue in duty would have to be absorbed by everyone else, this is a short term gain for long term pain.

Dear Editor Another awesome edition from the Islander. May I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The Islander has gone from strength to strength and is such a delightful read. Delivered free – to my door – every fortnight. It’s been one of those years that have been both good and bad – for many. Great things have happened but have been offset by not-so-great things. Friends have died, friends have visited, we’ve travelled the state and country, and we’ve experienced a Christmas miracle - we got our tree up by 1 December, and our Christmas Cards off early. The longer we live on the Island we realise how wonderful this little piece of paradise is. Perhaps those who only see the bad in everything might focus on just how lucky we are to live on such an Island – and be part of such an Island like Australia. With wars, famine, riots, and all sorts of atrocities happening around the world, we live in a relative paradise. Our worries seem to centre around issues such as whether we have seafood or turkey for Christmas, whereas many around the world will possibly starve. When the plate is handed around at Church this Christmas perhaps drop a $20 in, instead of a few coins. I’m sure Lotto can spare it. We should be so grateful that through whatever chance led to us to living here – in Australia – we are here and not in one of the hellholes around the world. So, smile and be glad. And most importantly – be kind. My suggestion for the Christmas period – be happy, smile and say hello, help those less well off, and say a prayer each day for those who don’t enjoy our freedoms and lifestyle. And, especially, be kind to those who help and serve us in shops, post offices, newsagencies, chemists etc. It will be the usual mad rush but try to remember – it’s not the fault of the checkout chick that you are running late and haven’t organised better. Bite your tongue – smile – and wish people a Merry Christmas!

Year. Cheers Michael Matthews

Dear Editor, I was surprised and disappointed at the email you received and delighted at your reply which in my view was the correct one. We have moved here 10 months ago feeling very lonely and was surprised and delighted when your magazine was delivered to my house, I don’t know what the previous writer was thinking about but there is nothing wrong with the advertisers using your magazine they are the bread and butter to you. Keep up the good work and I love your reply I personally am very happy to receive your magazine delivered to my home keep up the good work.

I live in Bribie Island and love to visit Woorim beach with my assistance dog, but I have found many locals have approached me insisting my dog is not permitted on the beach, and that the dog beach is where we belong. They point to the signs. I even had a ranger chase after me and insist I was not permitted until I contacted the minister for disabilities and complained to the council regarding this intrusion of my civil rights. I attach 2 photos of myself and my dog beside the signs. I have spoken to Brooke Savage about these signs, yet they remain unchanged. My emails go unanswered. Our disabled community are being ignored by this council, and every time I see these signs, I feel unwelcome, including shopping centres, local shops, pubs and clubs. It's time Moreton Bay Council stepped up to its responsibility towards the disabled community and updated its signage to reflect the needs of dog handlers. It's just not good enough. My health is suffering because of the constant harassment from confused locals who truly

believe No dogs means no dogs. I suggest they get on with the correct signage before spending our rate money on yet another useless roundabout. -Julia Hewett & Beau Hewett\ Dear Editor, Talk about a nightmare. I hear the premier and other people saying free water, use all you want, no limit and now I have water bill you can’t jump over! I know what I hear, and it was free water. Then I rang the local members office of Ali king and was told that unity water was not in the free water scheme. Well I got the $55 so they were in the free water programme! So why I got this huge water bill (I’m a pensioner and cannot pay and I won’t as I know what I hear) is beyond me. P. White

Dear Editor, Dr Michael Cavenor, in one of his recent letters to your paper, advertised the fact that he had a PhD in Physics, the implication being (I presume) that he was qualified to speak with some authority on the subject of Climate Change. If one were at all in any doubt about his own qualifications to speak with authority on this subject, such doubt would be instantly removed by the fact that he respects and admires the authority of Professor Ian Plimer on the same subject, whose rantings on Climate Change have been denounced as bunkum by numerous genuine authorities in the field. Moreover, one would not expect a person who claims to have a doctorate in Physics to put forward the notion that Plimer’s authority was confirmed by the fact that, at the end of his talk at the Bribie RSL, "150 openminded people” all gave him an “enthusiastic round of applause”. It may well have simply been the case (especially perhaps amongst the old, retired businesspeople from the Probus Club) that the audience heard what they wanted to hear. Why people of this generation (perhaps with children, grandchildren and in some cases greatgrandchildren) should want to deny the abundant facts about Climate Change, when the lives of their own offspring are at risk and in jeopardy, I don’t know. “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.” With age, one would expect people to become a little wiser. The older generations ought to be helping the younger ones, not hindering them with their denial. Professor Plimer and Dr Cavenor have not done Bribie Islanders any favours in propagating nonsense here. There are more than a sufficient number of people here with their heads already buried in the sand. And The Bribie Islander, likewise, is not doing the island’s residents any good in advertising the bogus authority of Professor Plimer and the deference towards it displayed by Dr Cavenor. Yours sincerely, Bill Shearman.